Diary of Frederick Phillimore Howell-Price, 1917 - Part 1
Printed tide table - see original document.
39 Old Pay Book
Total Debits £480-9-10
Credit of £5- Outfit allce
shown on 5/1/17
Credit to a/c 33-1-8
plus 5 outfit
£ 38-1-8
Men Horses
70 men . 1633 1986
90 horses. 692 814
450 men } 3rd LH 2325 2800
500 horses } reg't.
Men Horses
70 90 } From 3rd A.L.H. Bde.
450 500 }
520 590
10 16 T'port }
162 208 Battery } from Div. Troops10 692 814172
March 1917
8 THUR Asked 2000 pt extra pay. 3 refts. reported Manning. Haron & Tedder.
from Moascar.
9 FRI Lt. Stratton & Sutherland back. Brought some my clothes. Levingston (11th)
saw me re bags. Cut out of this a/c credit to Serapeum by him.
11 SUN Simply beastly day. Dust in clouds. with few drops rain.
Rec’d 4 Dht & rid horses. 1 G.S. wagon & harness, also various other
saddlery. Rid. Horses. rotten half draught
March 1917
12 MON Capt. D. across see Sect. also Derek Told
me to put in report re Sect. Advised by Depot
issue, Oranges then 2 oz vegs, shortly. Took trip
Ismailia at night
Patterson got kicked. Admitted Hospl.
A.S.C. o/r. of 7/3/17 appt. Hosking L/Sgt from 9/2/17
Short Cpl. 15/1/17 Sgt. 9/2/17.
13 TUES Report to O.C. re Section. Want change
Carlton, Wilson, Tedder, Daysh. Go on leave (48 hrs)
Caught 8.25 train Cairo.
Short in Hospital. Cairo. Bde Hdqrs fighting
for extra horses. 11th gave bosker
Head rope (wire.) Drew 2000 pt. pay for Sect.
Changed 3 horses with Engrs. New ones good
14 WED Arrived Cairo. midnight. Had good sleep. Only got up about 1000.
Bit of shopping & took things easy. Saw Capt D. off by 6.15 hr.
15 THUR Bought 18 chains & some rope for horse use. Was to
catch 6.15 train but waiting for parcels missed it.
16 FRI Up at 5.30. to catch 7 train Did so got to
camp about 1100. Everything O.K. Oranges lieu 2 ozs vegs
last two days. Nothing exciting from Bde
17 SAT Drew 2 more horses from Hdqrs today making 8 ride & Dht
Require 6 more. Some fight going on. to get them. Letters from
Home re Dave. Saw B Genl. Sent cable if want me will apply leave. He}
must be a bit b - .
18 SUN Had inspection today Men all o.K. & equipped, except
small articles Getting 6 more horses No saddlery. Word Bde moves
20th Trying agt’s to get saddles.
March 1917
19 MON Left by 10.20 hr for Kant with Staff. C to make arrangt's,
re Bde move. Nothing known except go to Hill 40, Supplies O.K.
Ret'd Ismatolia by 1915 hrs Cable from home to stay at post
Went to bed tired out. Must get up at 4.30 a.m tomorrow
20 TUES Lt. Stratton with more men left at 7 30 Myself with
others cleaned up camp got lorry to Station caught 10.20 tr.
arrived Kantara 11.20. Drew rations went Hill 40 unloaded
& waited for Units. Arrived late fearful mix up. Some issue left till morning.
21 WED Proceeded K/tara to draw All O.K. left man to come
up with train. Enjoyed ride. Issue arrived fatigue to unload.
Books all tail up. Bit of mix up but fixed at last. Q.M's
never satisfied. Baggage to go train 3 men told off
22 THUR Up at 0430 to get Section away by 0700. Fearfully unlearned
lot at moving. Had to stir them up re cleaning of places Finished
at last & away. Left for Romani by train, arrived, arranged rations for
23rd & 24th. Back to Leban Section arr'd. Waiting on ration train. All issued O.K.
23 FRI Section left at 0700. Caught train to Romani @ 0700. Found our
camp & that of Bde. Arranged for ration drawing & water & flomatis
for Bde. All issued O.K Section & Tport arrived before lunch Tents
up & have good sleep tonight. Wish I did not worry so much.
24 SAT
Brigade alright at 1030. Takes long time with transports. Had
more trouble with water. Not used to being ltd to 1 gal. Hurts them, poor dears.
Saw to issue at 1400. Indents behind. all & Hq out viewing Komani B'field
25 SUN Sent Staff Capt Note re water, indents, & transport.
Sutherland's horse cut eye, Adm Hosp. Potters horse Colic Adm. Hospital.
Daysh made mistake bread issue 80 L. 7th took, by mistake. Came & told us.
Wrote home. Not much to tell.
March & April
26 MON Drawing O.K. No suera Train broke down, Double issue
tomorrow. Perhaps some bran. Potters horse died 1 more to get.
Heard that stunt on at front. Rotten being back here. Wrote
a letter or two, had walk & then we moved tents to cleaner place.
27 TUES
Heard this morning Beersheba. fallen. Hope it is true but afraid
only a rumour. Fight on at Gaza. Going strong. Rotten being back here.
Letters from Home. Gone & Water very cut up. Issue O.K. Brig. wrath with Strat & Hosking
28 WED
Issue O.K. Word from Hdqrs. A.S.C. A.M.D. four men coming to replace
Carlton, Daysh, Wilson & Tedder. Hope they prove better than last three Bran
arrived at last.
29 THUR Bran arrived at last Adv V.O. Issue to be 2½ lbs 1 day & 1 lb
p. day for 2 days. if possible, Growls over broken bread Fixed that
up. May get couple more horses shortly. Use one as pack carry
foodstuffs etc.
30 FRI Hear fighting still on. 2nd & 3rd Bdes cut about a lot
Wish we were all up there. May get a chance later on. Hope so
Drs Keenan Jupp, Milroy & Greenwood reported. M.O's report favorable so am
going keep Carlton Keenan old 6th A.S.C man Jupp 7th A.S.C.
31 SAT Aroused by Staff C. at 2000 to say Brigade was moving
out at 1100. Got up. trucks were arranged for etc. also supplies.
Back to bed up at 5 a.m men busy clng up. Left for Abd at 1100 to arrange supplies.
Stuff at Rabah same train. Abd Time O.K. rations & water. Back there to sleep.
1 APRIL Sent back Carlton, Daysh, Wilson, Tedder, Jupp with baggage.
Up to Abd this morning by 0825 fr. Rabah. Only get few camels (30) Carry
enough water for Bde T'port to do rations. Section arrived Camped near Depot.
Issue O.K. Mosquitoes terrible baggage Bde arrived about 1600
Milcoy on to Arish with Surplus
APRIL 1917
2 MON Up .0430, Section away at 0700 for Tilul. Bde off about 0800. Potter & Greenwood
with ration. Hosking Self by earlier in day. Sect. arrived about 1200. Bde 1530.
Rations about 1600. Unloaded issued all O.K. Rotten place.
Camp tonight at Tilul.
3 TUES Section away at 0700 for Mazar. Had to wait 4 hrs to catch
train. Arr'd Mazar 1130. Rations O.K. Got 68 camels Small Units. Out to tea
with Ball, Depot Officer. 4th L H leaving 13 men & horses at Bardawill. All O.K.
Camp tonight at Mazar.
4 WED Down to station at 0600. Have to wait until 1200 for train. Rotten.
Arrived found Section camped Issue O.K. Left at 2000 for Arish.
Slept under station shed Very noisy. Not much sleep.
Bde, camp tonight at Bardawil
5 THUR Up & got Bfast Saw Adm C. & Supply Depot. Issued at 1500
on arrival of Brigade. Arranged issue at 0830 in future.
4th A L H Rgt split up. Some down wadi others Rafa. No camels given us.
Camp at El Arish. Fodder ration bad. Only Barley, Hay, Tibbin & Suera avail.
6 GOOD FRI Fairly comfortable. Want wagon & tents, then O.K. Can't
realise Easter is here. Does not seem like it. Beautiful
sleeping out. Dew very heavy. Getting gradually settled.
7 SAT Team to bring our wagon across today. One Dht
horse very sore neck. Saw Staff C re extra 6 horses.
Word that Bde moves tomorrow. Left & slept El Burg with few men.
8 EASTER DAY Up & had some breakfast Saw about rations. Bde
arrived 1300 Got slightly lost. Leave for S. Zowaiid tonight. Oats
on issue today. Had good sleep after ride of 10 miles on
truck of biscuits
APRIL 1917
9 EASTER MON Up early. Potter bit sick. Had breakfast in Church
Army Huts. Saw Depot. Camped under palms in Sabkhet
Issued O.K. Only barley bib & Hay for horses, Bread with men
Left for Rafa. Getting One Rumor that Bde is to be broken up. Hope so.
10 EASTER TUES
Arrived Rafa last night. Went to bunk. Had breakfast got ready
by some Scotties. Found Sect. Went for sea bathe. Issued O.K.
Sect. left at 1530. We caught train at 1630. Country to Khan Yunus, lovely
Green fields & orchards. None in Palestine. Out of Egypt at last.
11 WED
Found Walsh & 3 others of 27th D.V.S. at Khan Y. We do not draw
from them now. All arrangts O.K. Bde arrived camped on edge of
village Go see S.S.O at Dier el Bellah tomorrow.
12 THUR Saw S.S.O. at Dier-el-Bellah, To issue 3 days emergency
ration to Bde. Saw Capt D. Flack & Scott Others away. Was to go over
& get photo taken. No time. Rations Emgc'y issued O.K. 3 days for men.
13 FRI All O.K. issued to Bde. O.C. at Depot to see us. Such
a pleasure to see old faces.
14 SAT Went across to see S.S.O. He knows nothing of our Bde
moving. Saw major S. & the rest. Had nice cup of tea. Got back
heard Bde is moving tomorrow. Grennan from 27th Potter to 27th
15 SUN Went across saw S.S.O. Had to tell him this Bde
was moving. Rations for tomorrow go out by wheeled transport about
1500. Everything O.K. & hope it goes well. Feeling rotten today,
Strat over to draw Reg. Money Camels now for convoy leave 17th
APRIL 1917
16 MON Bit better today. Issued to Bde for Deir el Belah. Sent
Jupp, Nixon Grennan & Manning to assist Capt Davis. Saw S.S.O. in
afternoon. Leave with Camel Convoy at about 0900 tomorrow.
All O.K. Will get up at 0330 & move over.
17 TUES UP at 0330. Got away with Sgt Hosking Cpl Cook,
Dr Sutherland, Greenwood & Patterson. Aaron with Pack. Convoy
moved out at 0700. Arrived Jenin O.K. Issued at once as Bde had to
move out on outpost. All O.K. Indent for 20th handed S.S.O. Bit
difference in figures Anzacs doing well also all others in fighting
18 WED. Bit heavy firing during night. Convoy in at 0900. Issued to
Units. Held on Camels until 1300. Then unloaded as limbers
to come & draw. All done O.K. Bde did not come in at Mendur} Few wounded
in 11th & 12th
19 THUR Heard Thorpe killed. Naylor O'Reilly & Hanson wounded also Capt.
Easterbrook. Div moved to Beiket Abu Mailak at 0400. Convoy arrived at
0700. Issued to Units who await arrival wheeled t'port to carry away.
O.C. Col McIntosh just arrived. Left with c/voy at 1930. Got lost under S.S.O Arrived
Wadi Sharia 2359. Found Bde. Stayed at Wadi until daylight. Heavy fighting.
20 FRI
Left for Bde. Arrived with rations & all issued O.K. Bde had rough time of
it. All tired out & digging in. Stratton & men ret'd with me. No use there.
Drawn next days rations. & want t/port, 5th going out. Got first use.
21 SAT
First time of issue at Mendur, Bde to carry from there to own lines.
All done O.K. Sent Cpl Cook to get limber from Khan Yunnis.
22 SUN Moved camp Jemmi to Mendur closer to firing line.
Convoy arr'd at 1200. Issued to Bde, Told we proceed to Abasan el
Kebir at 1800. Moved off. Arr'd abt 2100. Waited for Major, got tired, went
into "bivvy" had some tea & then bed Pretty cold.
APRIL 1917
23 MON Up at 0500. Roused others. Took horses to water about 2
miles away. Very dusty Convoy arrived at 1300. Dumped at Bde
Dump. Issued O.K. ^Moved camp this ming Now camp with Bde All O.K. Still on Mob
Rat, No t'port to bring more. 4th Rgt supposed join up today.
24 TUES 4th Reg't. on our strength. Arranged for them to draw at Depot,
Own rations out at 1100. Never the same 2 days running, Mob. Vets
moved. Tried to get me to provide transport.
25 WED Beastly day. Wind & dust. Drew part ration at 0700 had
to wait until 1600 for balance Rotten arrangement. Will try
& get it altered. On full ration at last. Lime juice in couple of
days. Good big. Saw Broadbent today & Mickey. Looks O.K.
McDonald to Hospital
26 THUR
All paid today. Very hot Everyone rotten Strat to A.S.C. Hqrs
A.M.D. for lunch. Hear we move on 29th . Good job. This is
a fearful camp. Supply arrgt's are rotten. Gen Chauvel add. men
not there myself.
27 FRI
Drew my own pay. all books handed in for new. Hear we move
out on 29th Hope so. Rations still come two convoys. Went to A.S.C.
A.M.D. Had afternoon tea. Strat not too well. Will leave him behind
this time.
28 SAT Strat. away to make his camp ^Keenan & 2 horses with him.
Packed up ready to move. Told it is
cancelled for present. Depot changing to old site at once. More room.
Expecting attack from Turks on right. Have bosker dugout now.
29 Sun This day comes very quickly. Beautiful morning.
If not too hot. Would love to be in Australia Day like this. Got very nasty
later on. Flies awful. Issue O.K. Up at 1630. Good. Not going out on 1st Still in
reserve. Quite cold snap.Wire from SS.O. hand in Req. money
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